The present subject matter relates generally to concrete compositions and methods of making thereof.
Asian carp are an invasive fish species which are rapidly multiplying and over-running the ecosystems of native fish. “Asian carp” is a common all-encompassing term for species of silver, bighead and black carp originating from Asia which are found in American river systems. Specifically, “Asian carp” can refer to herring, grass carp, bighead carp, silver carp, and other carp fishes collectively. Introduced in the 1970's to filter pond water, the Asian carp escaped into the waterways of the Mississippi River Basin and have exploded in population dominating every ecosystem they populate. The Asian carp rapidly multiply, easily reaching weights in excess of 100 pounds, and thus far have proven to be impossible to eradicate. As an invasive species, they have no natural predators and effectively out compete native fish for food and habitat. In some waterways, Asian carp represent over 90% of the total biomass of the ecosystem. To date they have been confined to the Mississippi River Basin, having a substantial effect on the commercial fishing industry.
The current concern with respect to the Asian carp includes their northward propagation. The Great Lakes Basin is directly connected to the Mississippi River Basin via the Chicago Area Waterways System, which is a series of shipping and sewage canals. Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains electric barriers in an attempt to deny Asian carp access to the Great Lakes Basin. Such efforts have been mostly effective, but not an absolute deterrent.
Despite the effectiveness of the barriers, there are additional ways the fish could reach the Great Lakes Basin. For example, flooding of certain adjacent waterways and human transplantation are both reasonable means of introduction. If the fish reach the Great Lakes Basin and establish resident populations, which currently seems likely, the Asian carp has the potential to decimate the local fish species. The Great Lakes sport and fishing industries are valued at over $4.5 billion dollars annually. Introduction of Asian carp would have a devastating impact on communities that are reliant upon these industries as well. There is a clear need to deter, and if possible, remove these fish from American waterways.
Fishing efforts thus far have not yet been able to make a dent into the sheer number of Asian carp that have recently caused a stir at the rate they have been able to overtake and dominate the biomass in the Midwest waterways. Currently, fisherman are able to sell their catch to a fish meal processors for an average of 12.5 cents per pound. At 12.5 cents per pound there is no real incentive in catching the invasive species. There needs to be a greater incentive (price per pound) that must exist, before a full-on assault on the invasive species can take place.
In 2011, a hydro-acoustic survey conducted in Illinois put the Asian carp fish population totals in the Illinois River at 2800 per river mile which equates to approximately 4666 pounds per river mile of the species. With the female fish capable of producing over 1 million eggs per year these numbers are only going to continue to rise until a saturation point is reached and move on to bigger bodies of water such as the Great lakes. There is no data available to put a number on the total Asian carp population that has successfully and rapidly established themselves across the heartland.
In efforts to reduce the sheer number of Asian carp that are overtaking the Illinois River a pilot program was initiated with restricted participation from local fisherman. The local fisherman were successful in netting over two hundred thousand pounds of the species in the fall of 2011. The annual production of Asian carp in the Illinois River alone could far surpass three millions pounds and accounting for all the back channels and tributaries could be as high as 10 million pounds of the species. A section of the Illinois River 157.7 miles long from the Peoria Lock and Dam to the Mississippi River has an estimated 3.1 million pounds alone, which is a mere blip on the global production scale of Asian carp which is over 7 billion pounds.
The fishing industry and towns located along the Illinois River could see a significant economic growth with the estimated annual volume of Asian carp that could be harvested. If just the Illinois River can produce 10 million pounds annually of the species and with a 28% return per pound of fish to fish meal, a total of 2.8 million pounds of fish meal could be produced and blended in with the production of concrete.
Many industries and jobs associated with the Great Lakes are already feeling the impact of the invasive species, that isn't yet reported to be in the Great Lakes. One area of concern for the fish to enter the Great Lakes is the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. This particular canal accounts for 7 million tons of cargo needing to be transported through the Chicago area water ways, contributes to 1.5 billion dollars to Chicago's local economy and employs thousands of individuals. The Great Lakes regional fishing industry employs 58,000 individuals while the recreational industry adds a staggering 16 billion dollars to the economy and 246,000 jobs. With the economy as a whole recovering from a recent recession, reducing the impact on the economy due to the Asian carp species is a pressing issue.
In 2010, the Obama Administration outlined steps to be implemented immediately in a summit meeting to combat the Asian carp species from entering the Great Lakes through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canals. A third electric barrier is considered to being constructed at a price tag of $10 million dollars. The first two electric barriers cost $23 million dollars to be constructed and have an annual operating cost over $7 million. Another electric barrier located in the Des Plains River costs $13 million dollars. And probably the most controversial step to come out of the summit was the closing of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal three days a week. The closures of the locks associated with access into the Great Lakes through the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) are estimated to cost over $4 billion dollars over the next 20 years, hindering Chicago's local economy.
In 2010, the Army Corp of Engineers undertook a study called the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study, GLMRIS. GLMRIS was formed to analyze the potential way to reduce or prevent an invasive species from entering the Great Lakes. At the end of the study, GLMRIS identified several options or ways to deal with topic from taking no further action (meaning what is in place already is suffice) to spending $18 billion dollars. Table 1 details the options outlined at the conclusion of the GLMRIS.
TABLE 1($ in billions)Alter-CostCompletionnativeName/Description($-b)time1No New Action——2Non-Structural Control Technologies$0.07immediate3Mid-System Control Technologies with$15.5025 yearsNo Buffe Zone4Control Technologies with a Buffer$7.8010 yearsZone5Lakefront Hydrologic Seperation$18.4025 years6Mid-System Hydrologic Seperation$15.5025 years7Mid-System Seperation Cal-Sag Open$15.1025 years8Mid-System Seperation CSSC open$8.3025 years(Source: Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study, 2013.)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is another agency that provides assistance in the efforts to stop the advancement of the Asian carp. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is providing funding to implement interstate strategies to limit the impact thus far due to the invasive species of Asian carp. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also leads the efforts in the development of a National Management and Control Plan for the Asian carp. The Control Plan is intended to be a blueprint for interagency activities to prevent, manage, and control the Asian carp.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has also launched their own efforts to study the effects of the invasive species. After a two year comprehensive study, the IDNR has verified an adult population presence as close as 47 miles from Lake Michigan and active spawning of the species 67 miles from the lake. 1.4 million pounds of the invasive species was successfully removed during the IDNR's research project in the CAWS. Over fears the invasive species has successfully made it passed the installed preventative measures, a section of the CAWS was intentionally laced with poison (at a cost of $3 million dollars per mile) to gather information whether or not the species has migrated into the Great Lakes through the CAWS. One single Asian carp was found and took on the name of the “Three million dollar fish”.
The Mississippi River stretches 2320 miles, from the southern portion of Louisiana all the way north into Minnesota. Along the entire stretch of 2320 miles of the Mississippi River system, the Asian carp can be located. Which means the ten bordering states that the Mississippi River divides, are all having to deal with how to manage the species and litigate the damage being done. With a total of 17 states having reported the Asian carp invasive species has been found thriving in their rivers and local tributaries. Fifteen years ago only 7 states were known to have the species successfully spawning. The Asian carp species have used the Mississippi, Ohio, and the Missouri Rivers as a highway system that has access to every state east of the Rockies, even Canada. Other states departmental agencies have also launched similar efforts to study the ecological, environmental, and economic impact due to invasive Asian carp species. Only areas pertaining to the CAWS and Illinois agencies involved in the efforts to manage and control the fish was collected and used in this research project. Other state's research and data was not included into this report.
Accordingly, there is a need for creating a market for Asian carp fish to increase the consumption of such fish in order to reduce the population of the Asian carp, thereby protecting the natural ecosystems of which they reside. There is a need for systems and methods that use the Asian carp in industrial processes for creating environmentally friendly products.